Tomatoes can take an organic and fuss-free short cut from the By Ed Merrison
GROWING organic vegetables at home means eating well and not having to break the bank at the supermarket.
And, according to Anthony Hooper of Peppermint Ridge Farm in Tynong North, growers need not break their backs in the garden either.
For Mr Hooper, the organic appeal is simple.
“It’s the joy of walking out the back door to a garden where you know everything about the food you’re going to eat,” he said.
Mr Hooper suggests planting the vegetables in a no-dig garden, a method which can involve the children and does not require a large area.
The recycling it entails gives an added feel-good factor; chook manure, kitchen green waste (not animal fats) and even ash from the fire are possible ingredients of the soils of the future.
At the same time, it does not require the kind of arduous work people often associate with keeping a vegie garden.
But like anything worthwhile, it requires a little preparation.
In essence, the no-dig garden creates a fertile layer above existing soil.
The first step is to lay compost, giving the gardener a good chance to put to good use everything from egg shells to lawn clippings and weeds that have not gone to seed.
On top of this, Mr Hooper suggests placing sheets of wet newspaper over which a topping of straw mulch at least six inches thick is laid.
“The straw retains the moisture of the soil and aids the compost as well,” he said. A bit of patience is needed while the compost comes good, with the length of the wait dependent on the state of decay of the materials used and the rate at which they rot.
Weather conditions are another factor and Mr Hooper said growers should factor in the water needs of the garden if rainfall is in short supply.
Within a couple of months, the soil should be ready to go.
Mr Hooper suggested silverbeet – nutritious, self-seeding and grown all year round – as a great vegetable to kick things off with.
Peas, lettuce and sweetcorn also come high on his list, as well as good companion plants such as tomatoes and basil.
These are ideas with which gardeners can go forth and multiply their vegetables, but Mr Hooper advised gardeners to think and, if needs be, consult someone before embarking on their own no-dig patch.
But the rewards can be rich.
“The more naturally you grow, the better off you are generally,” he said.
Gardeners keen on their greens can attend an organic vegetable growing class at Peppermint Ridge Farm, or keep an eye out for courses at the Hills Community Garden in Cockatoo.
